in his country, after a far-right party inducted its paramilitary wing, whose members wear uniforms resembling the Nazi era.
In a statement to the WJC obtained by BosNewsLife in Budapest, Gyurcsany described the so-called ‘Magyar Garda’, or ‘Hungarian Guard’, as a symbol of an "ideology of hatred," a reference to World War Two when about 600,000 Hungarian Jews were massacred.
Gyurcsany said he had asked Hungary’s Chief Prosecutor Tamas Kovacs to "closely monitor" the group, which was founded by the ‘Movement for The Better Hungary’ (Jobbik) party, known for rhetoric perceived as anti-Semitic, anti-Roma and anti-gay. "I would like to assure you that I understand your concerns about the re-emergence of hatred," Gyurcsany said, adding that it was important to teach children "honestly" about Hungary’s history.
The WJC and other organizations asked Gyurcsany to ban the Magyar Garda, whose formation they said was "an extremely alarming development" amid "rising anti-Semitism in Europe". Undeterred and cheered by about 1,000 supporters, 56 founding members of Magyar Garda however swore to defend Hungary at an induction ceremony Saturday, August 25, near the presidential palace in Budapest.
CONTROVERSIAL UNIFORMS
Magyar Garda members were wearing red and white insignia while many onlookers waved red-and-white striped Arpad flags, reminiscent of the flag used by Hungary’s pro-Nazi Arrow Cross Regime, which sent hundreds of thousands of Jews to their deaths during World War Two.
The group was formed shortly before the first anniversary on September 17 of violent anti-government protests that followed the leak of a tape in which Socialist Prime Minister Gyurcsany admitted he had lied about Hungary’s economic situation to win re-election.
"The Magyar Garda was formed to execute a true (political) transition from Communism and to save the Hungarian people," Jobbik President and Magyar Garda Founder Gabor Vona explained to the enthusiastic crowd.
Hundreds of people attending nearby anti-Magyar Garda protests, were not impressed. "What is more important? Their right to free speech or our right to human dignity?" asked Agnes Daroczi, a Roma-rights activist at a counter-demonstration.
DEATH CAMPS
Some protesters held up placards of black-and-white photos, showing Jews wearing the yellow star and being herded into trains to be sent to death camps, by individuals resembling Magyar Garda members.
Hungarian born Holocaust survivor and current United States Congressman Tom Lantos said in published remarks this month that those behind the Magyar Garda "are mentally deranged," and should not be allowed to land in the US.
He said he would ask for a list of its members. Prime Minister Gyurcsany and others have suggested that the refusal of the biggest center right party, Fidesz, to condemn the group shows it "tacitly" supports the far right to win the next election. Fidesz has denied the charges, saying it supports freedom of speech if it stays within the bounderies of the laws of the land.
The Magyar Garda comes at a time when there have been worries over the rise of the far right in ex-Communist countries following an attack last week on Indians in what used to be East Germany, analysts say. The group’s formation is also seen as a setback for representatives of Hungary’s 100,000 strong Jewish community, the largest in Eastern Europe outside Russia. Following the collapse of Communism in 1989, there had been a revival of Jewish culture in Hungary.
